During the rush and the excitement of all these[p. 234] new enterprises, the boys could not forget their earlier experiences, and about the mysterious things which formed parts of their adventures.
To enumerate all of them would take too much space, and be unnecessary, but some of them had an intense personal interest, and they recalled how the missing flag was accounted for when John appeared; the removal of their boat at the Palls of South River was explained; the discovery of the light beyond the West River really indicated the location of the savage village.
But there were other things still unaccounted for, and the boys craved a solution to the mysterious happenings. Who wrote the message found in the Investigator's lifeboat, No. 3? Who took the flagstaff at Observation Hill? Who placed the crude oars and the strange ropes in their boat which was found stranded on the sea beach ten miles from the place where they left it?
The boys determined to know these things, and they trusted to the future to be able to give the answers.
Little of the time was devoted to pleasure now. The great forest to the west was looked on by the boys with longing eyes many times. They had heard about the experience at Blakely's old home on the hill. One day Harry said: "There is one thing lacking in the town."
"What is it?" asked Tom.
"The American flag."
"Good! We must get a fitting flag pole for that."
All the boys conspired together that night.